What is Social Security Full Retirement Age?

Full Retirement Age (FRA) is the age at which you can claim your full Social Security benefit. It varies from 66 to 67 depending on your birth year. FRA is established by the Social Security Act of 1935 and its subsequent amendments. The age is determined based on the worker's birth year, reflecting historical policy changes to ensure the long-term solvency of the Social Security trust funds.

For workers born between 1943 and 1954, the FRA was 66. For those born between 1955 and 1959, the FRA increases incrementally by two months for each year (e.g., 66 and 2 months for those born in 1955). For individuals born in 1960 or later, the FRA is 67. Workers born on January 1st of any year are treated by the SSA as having been born in the previous year.

Claiming retirement benefits before reaching FRA (as early as age 62) results in a permanent benefit reduction of up to 30%. Conversely, delaying benefits past FRA (up to age 70) earns delayed retirement credits, increasing the monthly benefit amount by 8% per year. Claiming before FRA while continuing to work also triggers the Social Security <a href="/articles/social-security-earnings-test-withholding-recalculations" class="text-blue-600 dark:text-blue-400 hover:text-blue-700 dark:hover:text-blue-300 hover:underline font-semibold transition-colors duration-200">earnings test</a>, which temporarily withholds benefits if earnings exceed annual limits.